1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a disposable undergarment, and more particularly, to a disposable undergarment that can be medically used in an angiography medical treatment including an angiography test and/or a general surgery using thereof.
2. Related Art
Angiography is generally defined as an angiography test for blood vessels by using X-ray. Further, the angiography is also used in an interventional medical treatment for curing blood vessel-related diseases. The angiography test is defined as a method in which a diagnosis reagent called a contrast material visible under general X-ray is injected into a blood vessel, and a shape of the blood vessel or a state of blood circulation is observed by using X-ray photography or X-ray cinematography. In order to perform the angiography test, a slender tube called a catheter has to be inserted into the patient's blood vessel from outside the body to a blood vessel portion to be tested, and then the contrast material has to be injected therethrough.
Currently, the angiography test is the most widely used standard method among various angiography methods, and can be used to test almost all blood vessels such as blood vessels in the brain, the head and neck region, the heart, the lungs, the liver, the kidneys, the abdominal internal organs, and the limbs. After the angiography test is completed, the interventional treatment may be performed such as embolization for clogging pathological blood vessels or angioplasty for widening or unclogging narrowed or clogged blood vessels.
In general, the catheter is inserted into the blood vessels of the patient (examinee) through a thigh artery (located at a portion indicated by a circle in FIG. 1) around the groin part. To this end, some part of skin of the above indicated portion is cut, and the catheter is inserted into the thigh artery through the cut portion. The angiography test can be performed under the local anesthesia instead of the general anesthesia except for a particular case. In order to prevent infection through the cut portion, the treatment has to be aseptically performed.
FIG. 1 is a photograph showing a method currently performed for a patient undergoing a medical treatment such as an angiography test. Referring to FIG. 1, a healthcare worker first covers the groin part of the patient with a disposable non-woven fabric which is then fixed to the skin by using an adhesive tape or the like. This is not only to protect the private part of the patient from being unnecessarily exposed during the medical treatment, but also to protect the cut portion from infection due to pubic hairs or body fluids. Thereafter, a portion of the body (indicated by a small circle in FIG. 1) to be inserted with the catheter is sterilized, with the groin part of the patient being under the local anesthesia. Subsequently, after this portion is cut, the catheter is inserted through the thigh artery to perform a required medical treatment.
However, while the patient is subjected to the medical treatment, the following problems may occur.
First, the patent may be infected with other germs through the cut portion. This is because a currently used disposable non-woven fabric and adhesive tape are not sufficiently adhesive to the skin, and thus the patent's pubic hairs or the like may not be entirely covered. In particular, adhesive strength of the adhesive tape may decrease when the patient moves under the local anesthesia, or when a liquid antiseptic is used. Therefore, there is more possibility of infection through the cut portion. In order to prevent such infection, there is no way but to restrict motion of the patient. In this case, the patient under the local anesthesia may feel extremely uncomfortable.
Second, use of the disposable non-woven fabric may not satisfactorily protect dignity of the patient. This is because a lower garment of the patient has to be unclothed so as to attach the disposable non-woven fabric, and the healthcare worker who is a third party has to attach the disposable non-woven fabric onto the groin part of the patient. In this situation, the patient undergoing the medical treatment may feel a sense of shame to some great extent. Further, if this process is carried out in an angiography test room, since many healthcare worker are involved in the process, dignity of the patient may be significantly lost. Accordingly, with the currently used medical treatment, the patient may conceive not only the sense of shame but also a dislike on the medical treatment such as the angiography test, and thereby a necessary test and/or surgery may not be timely performed.
Third, the currently used disposable non-woven fabric is poorly waterproofed, and is almost not durable against chemicals. Thus, antiseptic chemicals or blood flowing out during the medical treatment may be permeated into the groin part. This makes the patient feel uncomfortable, which may lead to motion of the patient. Thus, the healthcare worker may be interfered when performing a sophisticated medical treatment.
In order to solve this problem, a contrivance proposed by an applicant for this patent is disclosed in the Official Gazette for Registered Utility Model No. 20-0325065 entitled “a disposable undergarment for an angiography test, a medical treatment, and a surgery”. According to the contrivance, the patient can independently wear a disposable undergarment, thereby protecting dignity of the patient. Further, since a front sheet of the undergarment is formed of a waterproof material, and the both side ends of the front sheet are formed of an elastic material, infection via the cut portion can be prevented. In addition, the contrivance has an advantage to minimize discomfort of the patient stemming from antiseptic chemicals or blood.
Meanwhile, the undergarment according to the aforementioned contrivance may be stained caused by the blood and chemicals used during medical treatment. After the medical treatment is completed, the patient may still have to be clothed with the stained undergarment, or the healthcare worker may have to replace it. In the former case, the patient may feel uncomfortable. In addition, foreign materials stained in the undergarment may become a new source of infection. In the latter case, it may be another cause of losing dignity of the patient. Accordingly, there is a need for a disposable undergarment having a new structure capable of solving the above problems.